EDMONTON, AB –
Mike Smith isn’t quite ready to ride off into the sunset over the Okanagan Lake just yet.
Speaking from his family’s home in Kelowna on Saturday with a fresh two-year pact with the Edmonton Oilers signed and delivered, the 38-year-old netminder is approaching his 16th season in the National Hockey League with the same vigour and determination as he did breaking into the League as a backup with the Dallas Stars in 2006.
BUFFALO, NY – The Sabres completed their haul on draft day by selecting center Tyson Kozak at pick No. 193 in the seventh round.
TORONTO, ONT – Cam Stewart has been through it all. A former NHLer who played in an unforgiving era, Stewart counts nine documented concussions, three of which rendered him unconscious, to his name. The amount of undocumented concussions he sustained was much higher. Along with other injuries, Stewart’s career was halted numerous times and throughout the years he dealt with a lot of dark days – a lot of dark years, too.
Now as a player agent with KO Sports, Stewart is hoping that his tale of struggles both physical and mental can help the next generation of players reach their dreams of becoming NHLers without having to bottle up their feelings and anxieties. His message for the hockey world is clear:
“You are the only one who knows how you are feeling,” Stewart said. “Mental health awareness is getting there, but there is still a stigma; trying to be a tough guy or not wanting anyone to know about it. People have to be comfortable and know there are people out there who will help and they just need to reach out.”
CALGARY, AB – When you start with dessert, vegetables don’t sound so appealing.
So you can forgive Connor Mackey if he was taken aback for a second when it came time to ditch the cake and dive in to the cauliflower.
Since signing with the Flames prior to the team hitting the bubble for the 2019-20 postseason, all he’d known was life in the NHL. He was with the Flames throughout the stay in the Edmonton bubble. He had a strong preseason camp in 2020-21 and earned a spot with the big club to start the campaign.
Then, he found out he was going to head to the Heat.
SAN JOSE, CA – San Jose Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the club has re-signed forward Dylan Gambrell(@D_Gambrell7) to a one-year contract worth $1.1 million.
“Dylan appeared in his first full-time role last season with us and showed he is a reliable player,” said Doug. “He played in a lot of different situations and utilized his speed to be an effective player.”
Gambrell, 24, appeared in 49 games recording 12 points (five goals, seven assists) with 13 PIM. He ranked first among San Jose forwards in shorthanded time on ice (111:22) and set career highs in assists and points, tied his career-high in goals and fell one shy of his career-high games played (50). He appeared in his 100th career NHL game on Apr. 16 at Minnesota.
DENVER, CO – KO Sports, Inc., the top boutique hockey agency in the world, announced today that Jason Nicholetts has joined the company as its Director of Scouting – Western Canada. Jason’s primary role with the agency will be to identify and recruit elite hockey players across Western Canada. Jason brings over 30 years of experience within the sport as a scout, coach, general manager, business owner and player advisor.
“I am truly honoured for the opportunity to join KO Sports,” Said Nicholetts. “I appreciate its boutique approach in being extremely particular about the players and people that the agency chooses to work with. KO Sports’ 360 method and collaborative culture offer players a level of service that is unparalleled in the industry.”
“We are excited to have Jason join our uniquely qualified group.” Said Founder and CEO, Kurt Overhardt. “Jason’s understanding of the game and commitment to excellence make him a great addition to KO Sports.”
LOS ANGELES, CA – The LA Kings have acquired forward Viktor Arvidsson from the Nashville Predators in exchange for their second-round selection in the 2021 NHL Draft and third-round selection in the 2022 NHL Draft, according to Vice President and General Manager Rob Blake.
Arvidsson, 28, joins the Kings after spending the last seven seasons with the Predators organization. A two-time 30-goal scorer, Arvidsson tallied a career-best 34 goals in 2018-19 to set the franchise record for goals in a season. That same season, he established a franchise record for goals per-game in a single campaign and was third overall in the NHL at 0.59. He has twice reached a career-high 61 points in a single season, including 2016-17 with 31 goals and 30 assists before adding another 13 points (3-10=13) in 22 postseason games to help the Predators reach the Stanley Cup Final. The following season, he tallied 29 goals and a career-high 32 assists as the Predators went on to claim the President’s Trophy as the team with the league’s best regular-season record.
DULUTH, MN – This weekend, the United States Navy Blue Angels will be performing at the Duluth Airshow. But Wednesday, they welcomed a special guest and a big fan.
Minnesota Wild defenseman Ian Cole was in town to fly with the Blue Angels. The Ann Arbor, MI native comes from a military background with both of his grandfathers having served. He is also a big fan of the Duluth area, too.
“If I was left to my own devices, I’d probably be scared of heights. But you’re with some of the best pilots in the world, the best pilots in the world. I’m not nervous. I’m not scared of heights. I’m going to put my trust in his hands and let him do his job,” Cole said.
Cole is an ambassador for the United Heroes League, which keeps children from military families active in sports through camps and special experiences and is using this experience to spread the word on the organization.
ROCKFORD, IL – The Rockford IceHogs, proud American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL), announced today that goaltender Cale Morris has re-signed with the club on an AHL contract for the 2021-22 season.
Morris, 25, appeared in seven contests with the IceHogs during the 2021 campaign, going 2-3-0 with a 2.52 goals-against average and an impressive .923 save percentage. The Larkspur, Colorado, native made his professional debut on Feb. 22 in a relief appearance vs. Cleveland (13 saves on 14 shots in the third period) and won both of his first two professional starts, racking up 35 saves in a 3-2 win over Cleveland on Feb. 23 and a season-high 38 saves on Mar. 22 to help the IceHogs to a 6-1 victory over Iowa.
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